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Let’s face it, we are all worried about our children eating too much candy during Halloween. But, not all candy is bad for your kids. There are so many new options for a healthy holiday season.

Manuka Honey is a superfood that is widely believed to be beneficial. The better news is that there is a line of healthy snacks all with this amazing honey from New Zealand.

Here are a few ideas for happy Trick or Treating.

 

Propolis & Manuka Honey Lollipops

Who doesn’t love lollipops? So much fun to eat! Add these Better Nutrition award-winning lollipops to your arsenal of healthy candy. Great for children of all ages and adults too! They have the benefits of Propolis rich in Bioflavonoids, Manuka Honey 10+.

 

Manuka Honey Nuggets

Get these in bulk and share them with your whole family. Who said only kids go trick or treating? Manuka Honey Nuggets are the perfect treat made with Manuka Honey 5+. They come in three fantastic flavors: Manuka Honey, Lemon & Honey and Ginger. Try using them to sweeten a hot beverage!

Manuka Honey Chocolates

Hummmm, dark chocolate, and Manuka Honey? Shall we give these to the kids? Or keep them for ourselves? Either way, let’s enjoy! They are All Natural, Gluten Free, Dairy Free, and Kosher, with NO artificial colors, flavors, or preservatives. Best of all, they are produced right here in the USA.

Salted Manuka Honey Caramels

Everyone’s favorite! Mouthwatering deliciousness and healthy to boot! Old fashioned soft chewy caramel with all the benefits of Manuka Honey, a better spin on a classic treat! These all-natural soft caramels are made with real butter and pure vanilla and then blended with genuine Manuka Honey from New Zealand and Organic Flaky Pacific Sea Salt to create the ideal sweet treat.

Happy Halloween! 🎃 🎃

Grab your favorite Holiday cookie cutters and get baking! This classic sugar cookie recipe will be your go to any time you need to bake some delicious sugar cookies for decorating. I make these for my family holiday party every year and all the kids decorate them.  

INGREDIENTS

COOKIES:

• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon Fine New Zealand Sea Salt
• 3/4 cup superfine sugar
• 1 1/2 sticks (3/4 cup) unsalted butter, cut into small pieces, at room temperature
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

ROYAL ICING:

• 4 cups confectioners’ sugar
• 1/4 cup meringue powder
• Food coloring (optional)
• Decorating sugar, for topping (optional)
• Your favorite sprinkles (optional)

DIRECTIONS

1. For the cookies: Whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt in a small bowl.
2. Beat the superfine sugar and butter with an electric mixer on medium speed in a large bowl until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes; beat in the egg, then the vanilla. Add the flour mixture and mix on medium-low speed until completely incorporated. Divide the dough in half, pat into 2 discs about 1/4 inch thick, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour.
3. Position oven racks in the top and bottom thirds of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
4. Let the dough sit at room temperature for a few minutes to make rolling easier. Roll out 1 disc of dough at a time between 2 pieces of parchment paper until 1/8 inch thick. Cut out shapes with cookie cutters and arrange about 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets.
5. Bake until the cookies are golden brown on the bottom, 10 to 12 minutes. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheets until firm enough to transfer to a wire rack; let cool completely.
6. Gently gather any scraps of dough into a ball and press into a disc; wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate the disc until firm enough to roll,about 1 hour. Cut out as many cookies as possible and bake.
7. For the royal icing: Beat the confectioners’ sugar, meringue powder and 1/3 cup water with an electric mixer on medium-high speed in a large bowl until stiff peaks form. Beat in the food coloring if using. (The icing can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days.)

• Decorate the cookies with the icing; top with decorating sugar and sprinkles if using.

COOK’S NOTE

When measuring flour,we spoon it into a dry measuring cup and level off the excess. (Scooping directly from the bag compacts the flour, resulting in dry baked goods.)

This recipe is a little more time consuming than our usual, but it’s just too good not to share, plus it’s not technically difficult and it only has three ingredients, one of which is optional!

Our Honey Candied Orange Peels may be a little different from the ones you’re used to. The honey gives them more of a jelly texture vs the dryer texture you get when candying with sugar but many who try them say they prefer a softer texture.  

For these, we used our Leatherwood Honey. Leatherwood Honey is considered to be one of the rarest honeys in the world. The Leatherwood tree is mostly found in remote areas of Tasmania and takes 80-100 YEARS to flower! 

Technically, you could use any of our honey for these candied peels but if you have never tried Leatherwood it is definitely an experience and, especially for its rarity, is quite reasonably priced. We put it on ALL the fruits!

We finished these by dipping them in melted Raspberry Manuka Chocolates. This part is optional…though your taste buds may disagree.

Want a natural cereal option that is also packed with flavor? Upgrade those bags of puffed rice with nutrient-dense and health promoting benefits of manuka honey, nuts & seeds! All you need are a few easy-to-find ingredients and about 20 minutes of your time.

Make it your own with your favorite seeds and nuts or even add some fruit, either way you’ll get a much healthier version of one of American’s favorite breakfasts. Try it with our lower MGO manuka honey like the 5+ or add a bit of citrus with our Lemon Twist manuka honey!

Homemade Manuka Honey Cereal

Ingredients:

• 4 Cups Puffed Rice Cereal
• 1/2 Cup PRI Manuka Honey 5+
• 1/2 Cup Slivered Almonds (And More For Topping)
• 1/2 Tbsp Chia Seeds
• 1 Tsp Cinnamon
• 1/2 Tsp Vanilla 

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 350F. In a large bowl, combine puffed rice with manuka honey. Stir until the puffed rice clumps up. Then add in almonds, chia seeds, cinnamon and vanilla. Stir again until well combined. Then transfer the mixture to a baking sheet with a silpat mat or parchment paper and spread evenly. Bake at 350F for 15 minutes, stirring halfway through. Remove from the oven, let cool and enjoy!

 

Have you tried shredded jackfruit yet?

It’s the perfect replacement for pulled meats if you’re trying to eat less meat or need to make something for a mixed group. This recipe is sure to please everyone.

For this classic honey bbq sauce use our PRI Manuka Honey Blend and Chipotle BBQ Salt for incredible depth of flavor!

We’ve given you two cooking options: one using the stove & broiler and one using your grill. If you use a wood fired grill and want to smoke the jackfruit you can leave out the liquid smoke in the sauce.

Pop the jackfruit on a slider and top with some slaw and you’re set! We love ours with some pickled red onion or jalapenos & a little extra sauce on the side… yum!

Honey BBQ Jackfruit Sliders

A delicious Honey BBQ Jackfruit Slider with Honey Sweetened Coleslaw. Perfect for spring/summer with an added grilling option.

Honey BBQ Sauce
1 cup ketchup (we used paleo)
¾ cup PRI Manuka Honey
¾ cup apple cider vinegar (add an extra ¼ cup if preferred)
1 tsp liquid smoke
½ tsp PRI Chipotle BBQ Salt
¼ tsp garlic powder
¼ tsp onion powder

Jackfruit
2 cans young jackfruit (we used Native Forest Sodium-Free)
1 tbsp olive oil or spray

Manuka Honey Coleslaw
1 package coleslaw
½ cup vegan mayo
2 tbsp PRI Manuka Honey
1 ½ tsp apple cider vinegar
½ tsp sesame oil

Sliders of choice

Instructions
Combine all the BBQ sauce ingredients in a bowl and stir until well incorporated. Make sure the honey is well mixed. Set aside. (You can cook this on low heat in a sauce pan if preferred but it’s not necessary)
Preheat the oven broiler to 500F. Prepare a baking sheet with oil.
Rinse and strain jackfruit.
Throw jackfruit into a saucepan on high heat and cover with water. Boil on high until you can shred the jackfruit with a fork. 6-8 minutes.
Strain jackfruit again. Pour jackfruit onto a paper towel and squeeze excess water out.
Place jackfruit in a pan with oil on medium-high heat, regularly stirring. Pour in ¾ of the bbq sauce and cook for 5-6 minutes until the sauce is well immersed in the jackfruit.
Transfer the jackfruit to the baking sheet with oil and spread out with a fork.
Place in the broiler for 25-30 minutes or until it starts to dry out and become slightly crispy. Half way through rotate the pan and move the jackfruit around. Remove from broiler.
Prepare the coleslaw by adding all the ingredients to a bowl and mixing.
Slice your buns, dollop your jackfruit, then coleslaw and enjoy!

Grilled Jackfruit Option:

Preheat your grill on high.
Rinse and strain your jackfruit. Place jackfruit on a baking sheet or glass dish with some oil and cover. Cook jackfruit 8 to 10 minutes per side until they appear to be slightly dried out.
Prepare your BBQ sauce.
Shred the jackfruit with a fork and add in ¾ of the bbq sauce until the jackfruit is covered.
With your grill set to low, place jackfruit back into the baking sheet or pan and place on grill.
Stir your jackfruit every 10 minutes. It will take between 25 and 35 minutes to cook, but watch it closely. Cook until desired texture. Add remaining bbq sauce if desired and assemble your sliders with coleslaw.

 

Honey Cinnamon Roasted Sweet Potatoes recipe is the best cozy Fall dinner party side dish that all your guests can’t stop eating. Everyone will be reaching for seconds!

SERVES 4 | PREP TIME: 10 MINS | COOK TIME: 30 MINS

INGREDIENTS:

• 20 oz sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into bite-sized pieces
• 3 tablespoons melted butter
• 2 tablespoons New Zealand Multiflora honey
• 3-4 heavy dashes ground cinnamon

METHOD:

1. Preheat oven to 375 F.
2. Toss the sweet potatoes with the melted butter, honey and ground cinnamon. Transfer them to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Spread the sweet potatoes evenly in a single layer.
3. Roast in oven for 30 minutes. Transfer the sweet potatoes to a serving platter and serve immediately.

Based on a recipe from: Rasa Malaysia: Easy Delicious Recipes!

Summer is upon us friends! The sun is shining, school is out and that means it’s time to get outside! Whether you like to camp, hike, build sand castles at the beach or just have a simple picnic this Honey Almond Granola is the perfect partner for your adventures!

Made with lots of fiber, healthy fats, prebiotics and, of course, flavor we just had to share our favorite granola recipe with you :)

DYK that sprouted seeds don’t just have more fiber but more insoluble fiber making them a great prebiotic. Additionally sprouting makes the seeds easier to digest and allows for easier absorption of nutrients.

Paired with manuka honey, which studies show is also a great prebiotic, this granola will give you and your family the long lasting energy you need for your outings without the crash of traditional sugar.

We do heat the honey in this recipe therefore it is no longer raw however, the MGO (aka methylglyoxal) will not be affected much by the process so you can feel even better knowing you are reaping the unique benefits manuka has to offer.



Honey Almond Granola
Yields: 8-10 cups

Ingredients:
4.5 cups rolled oats
1 1/2 cups slivered almonds
1 cup sprouted pumpkin seeds
1/2 cup sprouted sunflower seeds
1/2 cup hemp seeds
1/3 ground flaxseed
1 tsp cinnamon
¼ tsp PRI Fine Sea Salt
½ cup coconut oil (melted)
½ cup PRI Manuka Honey
1 tsp vanilla extract

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350ºF and prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper.

2. In a large bowl, combine the dry ingredients: rolled oats, slivered almonds, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, hemp seeds, ground flaxseed, cinnamon, and sea salt. Whisk until well combined.

3. In a small bowl, mix the wet ingredients: melted coconut oil with manuka honey and vanilla extract. Stir well until mixture is as combined and smooth as you can get it.

4. Next, transfer the wet into the dry ingredients and stir for a few minutes until the mixture begins to stick together, add additional honey if needed.

5. Transfer the mixture to the baking sheet with parchment paper and smooth it out in a even flat layer. Bake for 25-30 minutes, flip half way. The granola will be ready once it starts to become golden brown.

6. Remove from the oven and let it cool down before breaking it up into pieces. Serve with yogurt, milk, berries, or dried fruit and enjoy! Store in airtight containers.

Not Your Average Honey Roasted Root Vegetables.

Make your mama proud and Celebrate Fresh Veggies Day (16th) and Eat All Your Veggies Day (17th) with this unique take on roasted vegetables.

You may be familiar with Leatherwood Honey from Gordon Ramsay’s Uncharted episode last year. He fell in love with it’s one-of-a-kind flavor and we think you will too!  

Our Leatherwood Honey really makes the flavors of these root veggies pop and will leave your friends wondering what your secret ingredient is! 

You could enjoy this dish as a main, a side or slice the vegetables into smaller pieces and toss them in a salad with a simple citrus dijon dressing. Either way, we guarantee you’ll see how delicious eating healthy can be!

Honey Roasted Root Vegetables

• 4-5 rainbow carrots
• 1 large sweet potato/yam 
• 3 golden beets
• ¼ cup PRI Tasmanian Leatherwood Honey
• 2-3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil or spray 
• ¼ tsp PRI Sea Salt (or to taste)
• Pepper

1. Preheat the oven to 425ºF. Prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
2. Wash, peel, and slice your vegetables. Place them in a large bowl.
3. Mix in the honey, olive oil, pepper and salt.
4. Bake for 45 minutes or until golden. 
5. Place in the broiler for 5-10 minutes to caramelize the honey and get a nice roasted flavor.

 

The worker bees have many jobs inside and outside of the hive, and for this reason they out number the drone bees 100 to 1.

Inside the hive the worker bee’s are assigned to the following roles nurse, queen’s attendants, cleaners, undertakers, builders, capper, ripener, and repairers. Like a large factory each bee has it’s own job but together they keep the facility running smoothly with continuous production.

Nursing bees are responsible for the young, they care for and feed the larvae making sure new larvae are hatching every 3 days from the 1.7 mm eggs laid by the queen. Those who attend to the queen make sure that she is fed and groomed frequently as she lays up to 2,000 eggs a day. The queen can differentiate between the different sized cells in which she lays her eggs, if she chooses a standard worker-size cell, she releases a fertilized egg into the cell for a new worker bee. However, if she chooses a wider drone-size cell, the queen releases a non fertilized egg and a drone is born.

Other worker bees are assigned to cleaning the hive, they clean out used cells and clear any debris within the hive. They are also responsible for cleaning their coworkers of stay hairs or dust. This cleanliness is important to the hive as a microbial outbreak could lead to an epidemic and colony death. Speaking of death some bees are even assigned to the job of undertaker so that bees that die inside the hive are dropped immediately outside the hive to dry. After they have dried, the bees fly them several hundred meters from the hive, and drop them. This prevents dead bees from accumulating by the hive and attracting predators.

But cleaning isn’t all the bees do they  also need general maintenance for the hive and of course the honey making. Bee’s are constantly building honeycomb often working with 100’s of others to fix or build only a tiny section. Once built some of the cells are used to ripen the honey and others for pollen storage. The bees ripen the nectar in the cells into honey by fanning it until the excess water evaporates. These cells are then capped by capping worker bees once full.

Last not not least we have the repairing worker bees that use propolis to close cracks in the hive and cover foreign particles that are to large to remove.

It’s a busy environment in the hive of the honey bee, but each bee has its job and these jobs keep the hive running smoothly and efficiently. Keep a look out for the next article on the jobs the bees have outside the hive.

Sources

Ask The Naturalist: Why Do Honeybees Clean Themselves?

Facts About Bees

Tracking the Life Cycle of a Honey Bee

Have you been celebrating National Ice Cream Month? It’s so easy to make your own, even if you don’t have an ice cream maker! Here are our top four recipes to keep you cool:

1 - Coffee Sweet Potato Nice Cream: We really think we cracked the code on this one. It honestly tastes JUST like regular ice cream except you could literally eat this every day for breakfast and feel great!

2 - Dairy-Free Spicy Mexican Chocolate Soft Serve: Because some like it hot AND sweet! Soft serve is even easier to make without any gadgets or constant stirring and this one is dairy free too!

Introducing our new Manuka Honey labels! Featuring a clear MGO number on the front and a QR code on the lid, linking to the test results for that specific jar of Manuka Honey! Read on for how to read your test results so you know you’re getting genuine Manuka:

The independent labs that we work with are based all over New Zealand and Australia and the different labs send confirmations in a variety of layouts, which you may notice when purchasing different PRI Manuka honeys! 

However there are key points that you can look for when reading your batch certificate.  

• Sample ID OR lab reference  - Your honey's batch number - This shows the report is for and the batch that your honey came from.

• Manuka honey test results always show 4 key markers, but the two you really need to pay attention to are:

• Dihydroxyacetone (DHA) - It gives Manuka Honey its antibacterial properties, the higher the concentration, the stronger the antibiotic effect. MG is derived from the compound DHA.
• Methylglyoxal (MGO) - This compound is found in high concentration in the nectar of the Manuka Flower.

• Your test result for PRI Manuka Honey will alway show these 2 markers, which confirm what you have purchased is active Manuka Honey. 

• The activity marker that is used to determine the different strengths is the Methylglyoxal or MGO level. This is what can be seen on the front of our new labels or in our older labels it is stated on the left hand panel of the jar.

• Your report will show a number in the line or column under or beside the MGO heading. For example if you have purchased our PRI Manuka 10+ or MGO 100+  you may see the following:
• This batch tested at an MGO level of 149. 
• Every batch varies and is rarely exactly MGO 100 and is why we always put the "+" .
• In this example the honey in your jar will be at a minimum a MGO level of 100 but has actually tested higher. 

 

A new year means a fresh start for many people. Many make resolutions in hopes that making a formal commitment to their goals will make them more likely to achieve them. Most of us find however, that they are a lot easier to make than keep! That’s why we’ve rounded up some tips on how to create resolutions you are more likely to keep & achieve:

• Set Attainable Goals - When making a significant change in your lifestyle try to think of  realistic goals and be specific, start with small steps and then build them. Once you have that goal in mind, think about how you can build habits to stay motivated.

• Plan - Yes, planning is essential to achieve your goals. Research says by positively framing your goals, creating fun activities or finding small ways to incorporate activity into your day can help decrease stress and improve your overall outlook toward working on your resolutions.

• Adopt Slowly - Building habits takes time, you don’t have to do it all at once! Always remember to be kind to yourself and be patient. These may seem like small changes, over time, they'll provide huge benefits to be successful. 

• Focus & Commit - Find your why, that’s right! Remind yourself why you are doing this. On tough days, take a few minutes to reflect and reevaluate your strategies. This will help you focus and stay committed during the process, you'll actually help yourself stay on track toward achieving your long-term goals.

• Track Progress - This is a powerful tool to help you stick to your goals, it gives you a realistic picture. This will determine what you need to improve and identify any corrective action which may need to be taken. Remember this is not a race to finish however, putting a deadline for yourself can be a good solution. Deadlines will encourage you to work hard.

• Enjoy & Be Grateful - Remember to enjoy and have fun during the process of achieving your goal because your physical, mental, and emotional health all work together. So after spending time on those resolutions and once you’ve met your goals, write down the things you’re grateful for, this is a good reminder that something you’ve never done before can be fun, too.

The New Year can be an opportunity to improve your lifestyle, so don't give up if you find yourself struggling. Sticking to your resolutions requires dedication and motivation, it becomes easier to achieve if you know your goals. Focusing on small changes can make the process more enjoyable. As a result, you can turn these changes into long-lasting routines.

Resources:

https://www.verywellmind.com/how-to-keep-your-new-years-resolutions-2795719

https://newsinhealth.nih.gov/2010/12/making-your-resolutions-stick

https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/seven-steps-for-making-your-new-years-resolutions-stick